I decided to take the Drive-Thru Diet challenge that Taco Bell is promoting as a healthier option for me when I’m eating on the go. It may seem like a crazy idea and I laughed at the commercials on TV right along with everyone else, however, I’m not laughing anymore because I tried their menu one day as I was in a hurry to get to school. I ordered one of their seven incredible menu choices, the fresco bean burrito, and as soon as I bit into this fresco-style burrito I thought to myself that if I can lose a little weight by eating like this I was going to give it a try.
So, it has been four weeks and many burritos and tacos later and I’m now a true believer in this drive-thru diet concept because with all of the gimmicks aside it really comes down to making sensible eating choices. Of course, this concept is not a new one and dieticians for decades have been telling us this same thing. However, Taco Bell and other fast food chains like Subway have caught up with this theory and are now using it to their advantage and marketing it as a way to make money in an economy where consumers are watching more than their waistlines; their pocket books.
All it took for me to kick-start my healthier eating style and save a little money doing it was to try something new and a little far-fetched. This concept is a futuristic one, but one that I see as appealing to the masses and I can tell you from personal experience that it can work. I remember an old saying that my grandma used to tell me “don’t knock it until you try it” and I totally believe that grandma had it right with that one. Sometimes the most outrageous ideas are the ones that work.
Hello,
It sounds like the drive-through approach is certainly meeting the needs of our fast-paced society. I am a licensed mental health counselor and am writing a book and blog about what I have learned in helping people work through body image/weight issues. These issues are so much more about our hearts and our stories than about calories and fat grams. Research shows that over the long-term, people on diets almost always gain back all the weight they lost, plus more. So I am writing about what I have learned on my journey with women and men as they fight the body image bandit. Check it out if you get a chance: Fannies: Reflections on Cookie Dough, Life, and Your Derriere http://www.cherriemac.wordpress.com
Cherrie Herrin-Michehl, MA, LMHC
Sounds like you’re on the right track. I agree that healthy eating is better than using diet pills, drinks, etc. You’re more apt to keep it up than go back to the old ways. Easier said then done though. I love taco bell & subway.
This diet just seems wrong! I think good, old-fashioned you-must-revise-your-life thinking is what will save the day (and I have lost fifty pounds using Weight Watchers and have a new set point that has let me keep it off for two years now). Hypnosis is interesting as an aid for weight loss, too. See:
http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/